How do you make a baby sleep through the night? Do you rigorously follow a Gina Ford like routine, or maybe you have a more holistic approach? As a two-time mum I can confidently say there isn’t a more divisive issue than that of a routine. The only thing we can all agree on is a need for sleep at any cost!
I thought I’d share with you my best tricks for helping a newborn to sleep. Please note I am not a sleep consultant, just an exhausted mum whose tried most tricks (champagne doesn’t work btw).
- Love to Dream Swaddle – I call these angel wings, they stop the moro reflex, i.e. when babies hit themselves and accidentally wakes themself up. Warning it’s a Marmite suit, babies seem to either love or hate it. But at £20 it’s worth a try. I’ve used it with both Daisy and Laurie to great success.
- Red Castle’s Cocoonababy – I was keen to try this as it has rave reviews on John Lewis’ website, and we’ve not been disappointed. I like to think of this as Laurie’s memory foam mattress, as it’s designed to evolve as he grows. Its shape means that though he lies on his back, it’s slightly upright. This has made a big difference to problems due to reflux and he is clearly more comfortable. Since using it he has taken longer daytime naps and is more able to fall asleep on his own. Unfortunately you can only use this until your baby rolls, I’m starting to dread that day already.
- Not being overtired. Each baby will only be able to happily stay awake for a set time. Currently Laurie can cope with being awake for 1 hour and a half, any more and he struggles to get to sleep and when he does sleep wakes earlier. This time frame is unique to the child and changes as they grow.
- A full tummy, if they’re hungry they’ll never sleep.
What are your top tips for helping a baby to sleep?
This post was written in association with Red Castle who kindly gave me a Cocoonababy to try.
If this isn’t your most popular post N4Mummy…:) I agree that when babies feel cosy they seem to sleep better…we swaddled our son for ages until he started fighting his way out. I do also think things like a good cot mattress shouldn’t be taken for granted just because they are small and lavender – I still put a drop of oil on a tissue in my son’s room at night…I’ll basically try everything! haha!
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It has been very popluar Abbie! Such a good idea about lavender, I do it for myself but never think about it for the kids x
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It has been very popular Abbie! Such a good idea about lavender, I do it for myself but never think about it for the kids x